Mechanical pool table



Dec. 5, 1933. J. H. THOMAS MECHANICAL POOL TABLE Filed Oct. ll, 1932 3+ @L 4L9 being put back on the Patented Dec. 5, 1933 TES PATENT OFFICE 1,938,265 MECHANICAL POOL TABLE Julian H. Thomas,

Application October 11',

8 Claims.

This invention relates to certain improvements in the construction of which unauthorized use mechanical pool tables in of the table is prevented by trapping the balls and preventing them from table. Such mechanical pool tables have gone into extensive use in public amusement places.

By the installation of the mechanical features for controlling the use of the tables it is possible to to that which is strictly accounted for to the proprietor.

tures it is necessary to have an pervise the play and to made by the players.

In the absence of such mechanical feaattendant to susee that proper payment is On the other hand, Where va mechanical control is placed upon the tables not only is it possible to dispense with the at'- tendant but it also payments required assists in accounting for the of the players for the use oi the table and eliminates the necessity oi keeping temptation for unpaying use of the There is the ever present unauthorized or tables unless such mechanical features are protected against harm or tampering. I have devised in this invention an arrange- 'ment of structural details which may be quickly installed or added to the conventional pool tables.

Such additional features doy not mar the tables nor their usefulness. It is one ance of the of the objects of my chanical control over appeal'- invention to provide a methe supply of playing balls and to have this control unobtrusive but effective to prevent unauthorized use of the table.

Other advantages of my invention will be readily observed from the following description of the preferred form of my device as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a plan view of the table with the top removed;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section on the line 2--2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig.

Fig. 5 is a similar section different positions;

showing the parts in Fig. 6 is a representation of a playing ball and Fig. 'I is a representation of the cue ball.

For the purposes of without limitation thereon, accompanying drawing an the balls after dropping in illustrating my invention I have shown in the arrangement by which the pockets of the pool table are collected by being caused to roll by gravity to a common point.

At this point the free delivery outside of the table.

timeA the remainingv At the same balls of the set will drop down control play upon the tables Rocky Mount, N. C.

1932. Serial No. 637,305

to a receiver. At this point the balls are either brought to rest on one Wall of the receiver or may more probably fall within the trough of the receiver. The receiver is designed to discharge by tilting but this tilting movement is under the control of the customaryV check-controlled devices. In this Way while the balls are always free to drop into the receiver, their delivery outside of the table or their return to the players, is dependent upon the actuation of the check-controlled device. Suitable arrangements of the devices are provided to insure retention of the balls until the completion oi the release of the checkcontrolled device.

The customary table 8 is of the usual massive construction and surniounted by the slate top, not illustrated. The table has a series of channels 9 extending from pockets in the top. a common point 10 at a lower level. At this point the channels deliver to a sorting plate l1. This plate is slotted as shown at l2 so that the larger size cue ball i3 will roll along the sorting plate ll While the smaller balls ci the set 14 will drop readily through the slot l2.

Extending from beneath the sorting plate 11 longitudinally of the table is an inclined delivery chute l5 having its end 16 beyond one end of the table. This chute 15 receives the cue ball 13 and delivers` it Without further obstacle at the end of the chute 16.

` The other balls which fall through the slot 12 travel down an inclined chute 17 and off the end thereof.

Running from side to side of the table is placed an abutment or baffle 18 as a rest against which the balls remain until they fall in the trough of the receiver and the length of the abutment 18 is sufficient to hold the full set of balls.

Immediately beneath the free end of the chute 17 and likewise extending from side to side of the table is a receiver 19. This receiver is in the form of a trough having its side Walls 20, 20. The ends of the trough are mounted on pivot pins or screws 21 which in turn are supported from the inner side walls of the table. The trough 19 will ordinarily be right side up and the playing balls delivered from the chute l' will drop into this trough after striking the abutment 18. The iength of the trough is such as to accommodate the full set oi balls being used in any game.

Under some circumstances the trough may have been left inverted as is shown in Fig. 5. In this case the balls remain in the V-shaped pocket formed by the abutment 18 and upper side wall 20 of the trough until such time as the trough is tilted back to its normal position.

The tilting of the trough is accomplished by means of an operating rod 22 which is pivoted by means of an eyelet or other device 23 to one plunger j movement of the trough will be apparent.

change for the requisite side wall the rod 20 of the trough. The opposite end of 22 is connected to the inner end of a 24 which forms the movable part of a check-controled device 25. This device 25 is mounted on the end panel 26 of the table. Since these check-controlled devices are well known it is deemed unnecessary to describe them in detail. In general they consist of the slidable plunger 24 movable in and out of the device 25. A coin or other check is advanced by the plunger 24 through the device 25 and releases the plunger for its full inward movement at the conclusion of which the coin or check is dropped into a locked drawer 27. The device 25 is of such nature as to prevent the full movement of the plunger inward except when the coin is used and also to prevent a return movement of the plunger 24 before the inward movement is completed.

With the plunger 24 operating as described the Assuming the balls of te set have been played at the conclusion of one game, they will have dropped into the pockets of the top and travel by gravity into the upturned trough i9. The inward movement of the plunger 24 is obstructed by the device 25 until released by the use of the appropriate coin. Since the plunger 24 is pushed to its innermost position, the trough 19 tilts to a limit discharge position. Stopping the plunger 24 before the completion of the movement allows the balls to take the position shown in Fig. 4 in which they are at rest between the edge of abutment I8 and the top of the side wall 20. The discharge of the balls will not take place but the balls form a substantial lock of the device and the use of the balls for playing is impossible until the movement of the plunger is completed. In the iinal phase or this movement the balls are released from between abutment 18 and the wall 20 and fall into the delivery tray 28. The balls may then be obtained by the players and set up again on the top of the table.

In the event that an attempt is made to obtain a set of balls without restoring the plunger 24 to `is outer position and using another coin for releasing, a condition occurs such as is illustrated in Fig. 5. In this case the trough 19 having been left in an inverted position serves to block the fall of the balls until the trough is again brought right-side-up.

A locked panel 29 is provided to close the bottom of the table beneath the trough 17. In this way, it may be unlocked for access to the mechanism or for cleaning purposes but otherwise the bottom of the tableis inaccessible to the players.

In like manner a vided to close oT the the table.

permanent panel 30 is proremaining bottom portion of From the above description it will be readily ap- Y parent that I have provided an eiicient and simple arrangement for trapping the balls that have been played and holding them until such time as they are again delivered to the players in excoin or check. The installation of this equipment to the ordinary pool table is easily accomplished without altering the general appearance of the table. The device serves as an efficient protection against the unauthorized use of the table and is of material economy in the maintenance commercial installations.

While I have illustrated the preferred form, still it is to be borne in mind that this is merely for the purpose of example and without limiting and supervision of the scope of the invention beyond the terms of the following claims.

What I claim is:

l. A pocket pool table, channels connecting the pockets of said table by gravity to a common point, a tiltable walled trough extending transversely of the line of travel of the balls and to which the balls are conveyed, from said common point, delivery means for said balls and operating means for emptying the trough into the said delivery means, said operating means being normally inoperative.

2. A pocket pool table, channels connecting the pockets of said table by gravity to a common point, a tiltable walled trough extending transversely of the line of travel of the balls and to which the balls are conveyed, from said common point, delivery means for said balls and checkcontrolleo. means for emptying the trough into the said delivery means.

3. A pocket pool table, channels connecting the' pockets of said table bygravity to a commony point, a tiltable walledtrough extending transversely oi the line "of travel of the balls and to which the balls are conveyed, from said common point, delivery means holding the trough against movement and checkcontrolled means for releasing the trough to discharge the balls into the said delivery means.

4. A pocket pool table, channels connecting the pockets of said by gravity to a common point, an invertible walled receiver to which theballs are conveyed, from said common point, delivery means for balls, means for controlling the inversion of the receiver to discharge the balls into the said delivery means.

5. A pocket pecl Jcable, channels connecting the,

of said table by gravity to a commontrough, and check-controlledfmeans for opera-j ting the inverting means.

6. fr pocket pool table, channels connecting the pockets or" said table by gravity to acommon point, an invertible trough vextending transversely of the table and to-which the balls are conveyed, from said common point, an abutment cooperating'withk the 'trough toholdthe balls, delivery means for said balls, and means for tilting the trough to separate it from the abutment to discharge the balls into the delivery means.

7. A pocket pool table, channels connecting' the lpockets of said table by gravity to a common point, a walled trough pivoted at its ends to the opposite sides of the table and receiving the balls, Y

from said common point and deflecting them at right angles from their line of travel', a'delivery tray beneath the trough and accessible from outside the table, and check-controlled means for controlling the discharge of balls'from the trough to the tray. Y

8. A pocket pool table, sloping channels connecting the peripheral pockets thereof to a common point beneath pivoted at its ends for said balls, means forv the level -of `the table, a trough to the opposite sides of the, table, a delivery tray for said balls, an abutmentl parallel to said trough, means to cause the balls to roll from sid common point and be collected in the space between the abutment and' the trough and` means to successively transfer theballs into the trough and thenceinto the deli'vj ery tray.

JULIAN H. THOMAS. 

